CORNUCOPIA, WI -
Enjoying fresh apple cider is a wonderful fall tradition in Wisconsin.
But lately, some individuals have noticed that fresh cider seemed
absent from farmer's markets and farm stands around the state. After
some Wisconsin food safety inspectors misinterpreted state laws as
prohibiting the sale of raw apple cider at farmers markets, many apple
growers shied away from bringing their freshly pressed cider to public
markets.

Through the efforts
of The Cornucopia Institute, a national family farm research group
based in Wisconsin, the confusion has been cleared up by the Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Their
Bureau of Food Safety & Inspection clarified that apple growers are
indeed allowed to sell raw apple cider at farmers markets, when several
criteria are met.

Growers may sell
unpasteurized apple cider at farmers markets, only if they have pressed
and bottled the cider at their own farms. In addition to farmers
markets they can sell cider directly off their farms, at farm stands
they operate, through community sponsored agriculture programs (CSAs)
and even door-to-door.

"There is no fresh
food that we eat that doesn't carry some risk associated with it, said
Charlotte Vallaeys, Farm & Food Policy Analyst with Cornucopia.
Many consumers believe that raw, unprocessed foods offer superior
nutrition. The DATCP rules are intended to minimize risks and educate
the consumer, added Vallaeys.

Wisconsin farmers
may only sell their unpasteurized cider directly to consumers, not
wholesale, and must affix a warning label on each container to alert
consumers that the cider has not been treated to reduce the likelihood
of bacterial contamination.

In response to a
1996 E. coli outbreak that was traced to Odwalla apple juice, the FDA
requires all juice that is distributed wholesale, or sold through
retail outlets, to be pasteurized in an effort to prevent foodborne
illness. These commercial products normally travel great distances and
might not be as fresh as locally produced cider.

For small-scale and
local growers who press their own apples at the farm, and who follow
responsible agricultural practices to prevent contamination,
pasteurization may not be an option due to the costs involved. They can
genuinely prevent contamination by following good agricultural and
processing practices for example, by using only apples that were picked
straight off the tree and never apples that have fallen to the ground.

For local growers
wishing to sell raw apple cider directly to their customers, the
clarification by the Bureau of Food Safety and Inspection that they may
indeed sell their raw apple cider at farmers markets is welcome news,
said Vallaeys.

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While
pasteurization kills pathogens that may have contaminated the cider,
some consumers seek out raw cider because they believe that
pasteurization also kills beneficial enzymes and nutrients, and
therefore adversely affects the quality and flavor of what they call a
"living food."

If purchased
directly from a local grower who followed good agricultural practices,
they argue, the likelihood of bacterial contamination is too low to
justify the impact on quality through pasteurization.

MORE:

A fact sheet,
designed to educate Wisconsin apple growers, including applicable state
and federal regulations, can be accessed at:

The Cornucopia
Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the
family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy and economic
development our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through
marketplace initiatives. www.cornucopia.org.